The watermelons in Thailand don’t look like the watermelons in North America. Unlike North American watermelons, which are oval and weigh 15 to 45 pounds (7 to 20 kilos), Thai watermelons are round like balls and weigh only 5 to 15 pounds (2 to 7 kilos). The insides look the same, though, and they taste the same, too. Here’s a watermelon recipe from Thailand that tastes great no matter where the watermelons are from.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

6 ice cubes

2 cups (500 ml) seedless pieces of watermelon

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar or honey

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Put the ice cubes in a blender or food processor. Ask a grown-up to mix the ice cubes until they are crushed.

Add the watermelon pieces and blend until the shake is slushy, about 1 minute.

Add the sugar or honey and blend for 10 seconds. Pour the slush into tall glasses.

Makes 4 cool-off slushes.

RAMEN NOODLE SOUP

Looking for a good, but cheap meal? In Japan, you can stop by a ramenaya, a Japanese noodle shop, and get a bowl of soup for 260 yen (about $3). For a fast Japanese meal, make yourself a bowl of noodle soup. Be sure it looks good – food presentation is a creative art in Japan.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

1 package ramen noodle soup

ADD-INS (USE UP TO 4):

1 carrot, cut into very think sticks, about 2 inches (5 cm) long

1 scallion, chopped

Daikon radish, cut into very thin sticks, about 2 inches (5 cm) long

1 mushroom, sliced

3 pea pods

1 Chinese cabbage leaf, shredded

1 lettuce leaf, shredded

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Ask a grown-up to help you make the soup according to the package directions.

Place up to 4 of the added-ins into a large soup bowl. Carefully pour the hot broth and noodles over the vegetables. Use chopsticks to arrange the vegetables artistically.

Serves 1 kid a tasty Japanese soup.

Kids’ Multicultural Cookbook

LEMON SQUARES

1 cup of Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of margarine or butter, softened

1/4 cup of powdered sugar

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel, if you like

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 eggs

Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Mix thoroughly flour, margarine and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Press evenly with hands in bottom and about 5/8 inch up sides of an ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches. (If dough is sticky, flour fingers.) Bake 20 minutes.

Beat remaining ingredients in a medium bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust.

Bake just until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool, then cut into about 1 1/2-inch squares.